I was at the event where this photo was taken. It was a few years back when then mayor Bob Walkup handed over the reins to incoming mayor Jonathan Rothschild. It was back when we could actually talk across party lines and not demonize the ‘other side.’ Issues didn’t become reasons to break apart friendships – or families. Oh, for those days.
I was saddened to learn that Bob died last weekend. He was 84. For all the political and professional pieces that will be included in peoples’ retrospectives on Bob, the single most important bits for me are that he cared deeply for this city, and he was a very sincerely good guy. Tucson is better for him having served. The Ward 6 prayers go out to his beloved Beth, and the remainder of his family.
I’m opening this week with some thoughts on ‘herd immunity.’ It’s the idea that when we reach a certain level of the population who have either had COVID, or have been vaccinated, there will be so many people with some level of immunity that the virus won’t be able to find available targets and spreading will stop. The figures I’ve seen range from 70% to 85% of the population with some level of immunity = ‘herd immunity.’
But it’s important to realize the virus isn’t gone when we reach that level. It’s not like a light switch. The comparison I’ve seen is that it’s more like a dimmer switch; it’s less easy to spread, but it’s not gone. We still have to be cautious, even at some high level of immunity. And it’s also true that we’re not sure how long the immunity lasts for people who’ve had COVID. Right now, that’s about 30% of our population. As their immunity recedes, that amount is deducted from the herd level we had achieved.
I’ll get more into where we are with respect to the current COVID numbers and the variant strains. But with so many states now totally reopening things, I felt it was important to at least begin with some note of caution. We’re headed in a good direction. Let’s not spike the football on the 5-yard line though.
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Vaccine Update
Here are a couple of graphs that show our good trend. This first one shows the decline in new cases nationwide. With the new strains, seeing the drop sort of levelling off is not encouraging, but the number of cases is generally going in the right direction.
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And this graph is trending up. It shows the number of people who’ve been vaccinated. We’ve got a long way to go but combining these two graphs paints a picture of legitimate hope.
Pima County announced last Friday that we’re now registering essential frontline workers and people who are age 55 and older. The change is because more than 50% of the people over 65 years old have been vaccinated. Now eligible are people who work in the food service industry, restaurant and bar workers, agricultural workers, grocery and convenience store clerks, public transit workers and manufacturing employees. That’s going to be a lot of people so plan on getting a confirmed date likely out into April. But getting in the queue is the first step.
Pima County Health is also working directly with our utility companies and making plans to vaccinate their employees. That includes water, gas and electric. I’ve suggested they also toss in sewer/wastewater and our environmental services workers. As we just saw during the Texas freeze, those are all pretty ‘essential’ services.
As of last week, in Pima County over 330,000 people have been vaccinated, with over 130,000 having received both doses. That’s roughly 11% of our countywide population who are fully vaccinated. There are also about 110,000 people in Pima County who’ve had COVID. So, we’re just over 20% of our regional population with some level of immunity. There’s a long way to go, but as I showed in the graphs above, the trends are positive. This graph shows the age/sex breakdown of who has been infected in Pima County. Note the largest age range includes the UA student group. And recall the refusal on false pretenses of the UA to mandate off campus testing back when their zip code was the regional hot spot. If nothing else, that decision ‘helped’ us get closer to herd immunity.
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Here’s the Bloomberg COVID19 Tracker data for Arizona. The nationwide total is up to 32.2 doses having been administered per 100 people, up from just over 27 last week. Arizona is just over 35 doses per 100 people, so we’re still doing better vs what the rest of the country is doing. But with only 12% of the residents having received both doses, we’ve got a long way to go.
If you need a hand with the Pima County registration process, please call either 324.6400 or 222.0119. Things change every day with this program, so don’t hesitate to call them if you’re unsure at any point in the process.
Variant Strains
I usually keep this section until towards the end of the newsletter. But with the sort of competition going on between how quickly we get the vaccines into people vs how quickly the virus spreads, it’s important to give the update while you’ve got those other pieces of the puzzle in mind. This graphic shows what I’m referring to.
The new strains continue to evolve. Over the weekend it was reported that Arizona now has 2 of the variants infecting people. Here’s the national map I share to show how this is changing across the country. Back at the beginning of COVID-19, we saw very similar maps of the spread.
Hidden in the color-coded map is the actual numbers. When I first touched on these variants a little over a month ago, there were 437 reported cases nationwide. Now there are nearly 10x that amount – over 4,000 cases. In Arizona we’re bumping 40 reported cases, split between the U.K. and Brazilian strains. The Brazilian one is evidently much more contagious than some of the other new strains.
Of particular concern is that our neighbors California and Colorado have seen a significant increase in cases in recent weeks. And Texas has as well. Texas just reopened all of their businesses. Florida is the hot spot in the nation. They’re right now hosting spring break festivities. All of the responsible health professionals you hear say ‘now’s not the time to let our guard down’ have these exact conditions in mind.
But there’s an international condition that’s going unreported. It’s the disparity between rich and poor countries in terms of vaccinations. For reasons of simple ethics, that matters. For those who prefer the selfish notion that we don’t want a resurgence spreading from one of the less affluent nations, it still matters. This global map shows clearly what I’m describing.
When I asked some of the Pima County Health folks if it’d make more sense for me to skip my 2nd vaccination and let us get more people a 1st one, they recommended I go ahead with the second. On the micro – Pima County – level, I get that since we continue to make good progress through the priority groups. But internationally the situation appears to me to be unfair and a disaster waiting to happen. We’ll leave the distribution decisions to the experts, but that map paints multiple bad pictures for me.
Reid Park Zoo Master Plan
As you likely know, last week the M&C voted to suspend the Pathways to Asia project at the zoo. Here’s the motion made, and the outcome of my attempt to hold the zoological society harmless for added costs:
It was moved by Council Member Fimbres, duly seconded, that the Mayor & Council direct the City Manager, to take all actions necessary to suspend or pause the Expansion Project and the associated design and construction contracts for 45 days and that the City Manager organize a mediated, intentional dialogue with a representative and diverse group of community stakeholders to discuss potential options for compromise. The group should meet as many times as needed, and consist of representatives from neighborhoods surrounding Reid Park, Save the Heart of Reid Park, Parks & Recreation, the Zoological Society, and representatives from Wards 6 and 5.
Discussion ensued.
A friendly amendment was made by Council Member Kozachik that the Zoological Society be held harmless for any added costs or losses incurred as a result of the suspension. The friendly amendment died due to a lack of a second.
The reality is that a ‘friendly amendment’ doesn’t require a second. What it needs is for the original motion maker to accept it. I didn’t feel it was worth making an issue out of at the time as it was clear the direction the council had chosen to go.
Prior to the vote I had presented this graphic as what I believe is an acceptable win-win for the community, and the Pathways to Asia proponents. It shows new ADA accessible water features and other amenities that would replace the Barnum Hill space planned for the zoo. It’ll remain on the table until a final decision is made. Since it’s not contiguous with the zoo, and it’s much smaller than the Pathways space, it’s not a good candidate for simply shifting the approved project over and using this area.
This week the city manager’s office will begin the outreach described in the motion. The 45-day meter began running on March 9th, so the conversations need to start immediately. Our first study session after the time runs out is May 4th.
Over $2.5M has already been spent on Pathways. The $8.5M elephant exhibit met with a petition drive in opposition as well. The M&C approved moving forward. Some of the donors who supported that project have also donated to Pathways. We don’t know the damage the vote to suspend will do to those relationships.
The zoological society also raised over $4M for the new Animal Health Center. That 9,000 square foot project includes a full surgical unit, ICU units that are suitable for animals of all sizes, and state-of-the-art treatment facilities with controlled air circulation so the veterinary staff can give the critters the best care possible. Some of those donors also supported the Pathways to Asia project. We don’t know the damage the vote will have on those relationships, either.
Here’s what I am sure of. The rhetoric surrounding this issue has gotten really ugly. We just went through 4 years of that. It’s time to stop. It’s time to redevelop the ability to disagree without running a scorched earth process with what have been friendships and good relationships. Let’s start the dialogue and see where we are at the end of 45 days. My preference is to continue as we’ve planned for the past 3+ years. If we can find a better solution that makes sense from a development and cost standpoint, I’m all ears.
Meanwhile, for those who want a zoo experience, they’re hosting “Spring Walkabouts” from now through March 21st. The zoo will extend their viewing hours until 6:30pm. Because of the COVID protocols they’re following, you need to register in advance: www.reidparkzoo.org. They’ll have the carousel open for the kids and will have food and drink available. If you’re a zoo member, tickets are free. And as is always true, they’ve got special low-income programs available. Stop by and say ‘hi’ to this guy
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and his buddies.
Southern Arizona Adaptive Sports
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As we gradually reopen things, the SAAS group is joining the fun. And while the focus is on providing these opportunities for people with mobility challenges, they’d love to have the public out supporting their events.
On March 20th, from 10am until 1pm, SAAS is hosting a free disc golf clinic. It’ll be held out on the east side at the Groves disc golf park; 7500 E. Juniper. Disc golf is, well golf using something like a frisbee. During the clinic they’re providing lessons for the uninitiated – and they’ll provide all the discs.
Then on Sunday the 21st, the site and activities shift to regular adaptive golf. This event will take place from 1pm until 3pm – not nearly long enough for me to shoot a round of golf, so I for sure won’t be doing this one. They’ll be out at Rolling Hills golf course at 8900 E. 29th. For both events there is no experience needed, and spectators are encouraged. Yes, they’ll mask up, and they’ll socially distance.
You need to pre-register by contacting Mia Hansen at 370.0588, or by emailing her at miajhansen08@gmail.com. Remember a hat and sunscreen.
Parks Free Outdoor Classes
Also included in our gradual reopening is a program called “Meet Me at the Park.” There’ll be one park selected in each Ward, and classes will be free and available to the first 10 people who show up. That’s for social distancing reasons. We’re about getting people out and active, safely.
The program starts today. This chart shows when and where they’ll be, and the activities included at each location. Stay tuned for more of these in the coming weeks.
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Small Cell Poles
Back in 1973, Motorola introduced the first ever cellphone. It was called DynaTAC. This is a picture of the thing – like a brick laying on your shoulder.
The guy in the picture is Martin Cooper. He was directly involved in the design of the phone, and in fact made the first ever phone call on it. He called his competitor at AT&T to rub it in. Motorola had figuratively landed on the moon first. It took another 10 years before cell phones were commercially available.
Now Motorola isn’t a player. But from the 35’ tall poles you see popping up around the city you know AT&T still is, as are Verizon and T-Mobile/Sprint. They’re all out bidding on what’s called ‘spectrum.’ In really layman’s terms, they’re competing for room on the dial, like a radio station does. But the cell companies are bidding on room out in the airwaves they want to license in order to carry their smartphone and other cellular products. In late February, the three high bidders were:
Verizon - $45 billion dollars for 3,511 spectrum licenses
AT&T - $23 billion dollars for 1,621 licenses
T-Mobile - $9 billion dollars for 142 licenses.
There was a total of $81B spent by cell companies trying to get access to spectrum licenses. Now we’re fighting so they don’t use what is obviously significant revenue potential to ruin the aesthetics of your neighborhood – your front yard.
I like Martin Cooper’s perspective. He was aghast at the amount of money being spent on these licenses. He estimates that roughly 40% of students in this country don’t have access to broadband wireless. The technology exists to provide that for around $10 p/month. The spectrum sold to those 3 companies will be used to connect us to things. To more devices. Cooper feels spectrum should first be allocated to companies that are committed to delivering access to people, and to bringing down costs. I agree. Call it the internet of people, as opposed to the internet of things.
The Arizona state legislature will have committee hearings this week on more restrictions to local voices. I sent Representative Victoria Steele this statement to be read into the record:
When the legislature passed HB2365, it gave license to telecom providers to freely select locations for their ‘small cell poles’ without any requirement for consultation ahead of time with residents whose homes will be impacted. The Bill prevents cities from compelling any contact with residents. The notice property owners receive is literally the arrival of a back-hoe and trencher in front of their home. At the conclusion of the work, a new 35’ tall cell pole, with a 4’ tall electric meter box and a 5’ tall orange and white PVC ‘warning post’ sit in the Right of Way immediately outside homes throughout residential areas, all over the state.
At my request, the City of Tucson recently approved moving ahead with an Ordinance that will compel telecom companies to demonstrate they’ve at least explored all possible alternatives before deciding on their final choice for their pole. This means utility companies must sit down and discuss collocating on existing utility poles (a use already called for in HB2365,) and cities must make infrastructure such as street lights, traffic control devices and street signs available for collocation. The Ordinance is intended to force all parties to explore all options prior to simply choosing the location that is the easiest one to facilitate, but the one that brings the most egregious impact on residential property owners.
Even with our local Ordinance, telecom companies may elect the location that brings the worst impact on property owners. The state legislature can resolve this by simply returning to local jurisdictions the authority to deny permits, suspend the 75 day ‘shot clock’ and allow sufficient time to bring all parties to the table to explore options that will allow a successful rollout of the 5G system, but preserve the aesthetics and property values for residents throughout the state. Simply put – return our local voice and authority.
Once again, here’s the troublesome text from state bill HB2365. It’s why we continue working for a solution to the 5G cell poles you’re seeing pop up in your neighborhoods. We need our voice back.
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 Last week I shared two thoughts with Verizon. One is the idea of hiding their poles inside fake cactus. This is a picture of one that already exists up in Scottsdale:
 Some of you have already begun nudging the utilities in this direction. This is handiwork from a Sam Hughes neighbor. And while it’s not the full 35’ Verizon pole, the 5’ orange and white PVC Century Link post is a nice start.
 In the U.K., Vodafone (one of their local telecom carriers) is installing mobile antennas on the underside of manhole covers. Like this -
There’s no need for ruining the landscape in front of your house, and no above-ground eyesores. The kits are all below ground.
There won’t be one single solution to this, but I’m giving them options so that when we sit down together again, there’ll be much more in the conversation than just me and residents pleading to move a 35’ tall pole a few feet one way or another so it’s not the only thing someone sees when looking out towards the mountains.
Emergency Broadband Benefit Program
A largely under-reported federal FCC program is right now available for qualifying households. It brings discounts on their internet service bills. It’s an expansion of the federal Lifeline program that has been in effect for years. It’s estimated that 80% of the households that are eligible for the program don’t know it exists. Here’s an invitation to some of our local reporters – help educate people about this.
This is about digital equity. One local person who is working hard to help get the word out is Cindy Hogan. She has offered to make herself available as she and I work together in this awareness campaign. You can reach her at cindyhogan333@gmail.com. You can also check straight with the feds at https://www.fcc.gov/broadbandbenefit, or call 800.9473.
The FCC is still finalizing the rollout date for this discount program. There has already been $3.2B dedicated to it. They’re hoping for a late-April start, so now’s the time to begin getting involved. The program includes up to a $50/month discount for broadband services, up to $75/month for households on qualifying Tribal lands, or a one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop/desktop/tablet.
Some of the eligibility criteria include households receiving Medicaid or SNAP benefits, households approved for free or reduced-price school food programs, or those who can document a substantial loss of income related to the pandemic. There’s more, so connect in one of the ways I’ve listed to see if you can save yourself some cash on getting digitally connected.
Not all the cell company news is bad.
Southwest Gas
This quick note on behalf of SW Gas. If you’re one of their many customers, you may see a new account number pop up on an upcoming bill. They’re making some internal changes to the SWG customer internal account system. As they internally transfer customers to the new system, it will automatically assign a new customer account number. Honestly, I would not be one to notice such a nuanced change in our bill. But in case you stay on top of billing details like that, it’s legit. Nobody is posing as your new gas utility and messing with your billing statement. It’ll be a seamless change when they finally roll it out later this spring.
Gun Control in Congress
In Arizona, it’s perfectly legal (I didn’t say ‘smart’) to set up shop in a parking lot, sell guns to people walking by, cash and carry with no questions asked. No background check. No idea what the purchaser’s criminal or psychological background is – just exchange the guns for the money and you’re done.
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What could possibly go wrong?
When I did my gun buy-back several years ago, a group of gun heroes set up shop in the public right of way adjacent to the police substation where I held the event. They were flagging down people and ‘out bidding’ the value of the gift cards I was offering to people when they turned in their guns. What they were doing was legal, and totally unsafe.
Thankfully Congress is right now considering two bills that could have an impact on this. One will require a background check for all gun sales – private, internet, gun shows – all of them. There are exceptions built in for in-family transfers or sales for the sole use at a shooting range. But this trunk of the car commerce would become a thing of the past. The other bill would extend the waiting period for sales in which a background check is already required (those through gun dealers/stores) from the current 3 days, to 10. Why might that matter? In the Charleston mass killing, the shooter purchased his weapon, and the background check was not completed within the 3-day waiting window. So, they turned the gun over to him, and he murdered 9 people with it. With a 10 day wait, he may never have had the gun.
These bills have now both passed the House. They will take 60 votes in the Senate. That means 10 Republicans – assuming Democrats stay together. I believe these are good bills, each aimed at public health and safety. If you’re so inclined, let senators know you feel the same way.
In the Arizona legislature there’s yet another bill pending that says the state doesn’t have to follow federal gun laws. Step 1 – get them passed in Congress. Step 2 – watch the state circus play out.
City Budget and Rent Assistance
We received some welcome news from our D.C. team last week. Included in the upcoming American Rescue Plan (ARP) the City of Tucson is going to receive two $70M allocations. One will be coming within the next couple of months, with the final allocation coming about a year from now. The money will need to be invested in COVID expenses and COVID-related economic impacts, premium pay, revenue replacement and some water/broadband infrastructure.
Some of the money will go to the state to distribute. We’ve seen how that plays out with Ducey’s failure to allocate out COVID testing and vaccination funds appropriately. But these will be big dollars, and there’s a new watchdog in D.C., so I’m more hopeful now that we’ll get our fair share than I was under the previous administration.
Two very important categories of that funding relate to childcare. Our Phoenix team says the state (assuming this all passes and is signed by Biden) should receive in the neighborhood of $300M to provide assistance to childcare workers, and another $480M to support qualified childcare providers. We’ll be watching how the allocation process goes.
There’s also rent/utility assistance coming. To be eligible the total renter household income must be at or below 80% of the area median income. The renter must be eligible for unemployment insurance or have experienced COVID-related financial hardship and must be at risk of eviction. You can use this table to check the income eligibility standards.
 Our partners in this are Pima County and the Community Investment Corporation.
The program is aimed at helping tenants and landlords. Please use this link to see the details of the program, and to get involved if you or your tenants are eligible.
Civic Participation Series
A while back I shared the full calendar for the Pitt Family Foundation speaker series. It’s a part of the Foundation Participatory Democracy Initiative that’s being run through the UA college of law. Jonathan’s moderating each presentation. The upcoming speaker should be very interesting – and timely.
 Each of these are being held online. You can use this link to register. The next event will be on Tuesday, March 23rd at 5:30pm. Register Now!
Lawrence Lessig will be the speaker. He’s a Harvard law professor, and a best-selling author from the New York Times list. His focus will be on HR1 – the Equal Citizens resolution being considered in congress. The intent of HR1 is to affect how voting happens, and how political campaigns get funded. In my current campaign for re-election, I’m not taking any donations – the same as last time. But that’s of course not the norm for people running for political office.
HR1 will change how campaigns get funded, attempt to end partisan gerrymandering of political districts, prevent voter suppression efforts and make voting easier and more secure, and it suggests strong new ethics rules for members of congress. Each of those is a very timely topic. The forum is free. Given the timeliness of the subjects they’ll cover, I thought it was worth giving you this reminder.
The scooter pilot program is being extended another 5 months. During that time a Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued for turning the pilot into a permanent program. We’ll be including some new requirements in the RFP.
I raised 3 points that I felt needed to be considered for the full rollout. One is to ensure any company awarded a contract must deploy up to 250 scooters in what we’re calling an “opportunity zone.” Those will be low-moderate income areas where people are assumed to rely more heavily on alternate modes of transportation. Right now, well over 80% of the rides are taking place in Ward 6. If we’re going to have this program, let’s spread it around.
Next, I asked that we focus on citing the companies when they fail to remedy parking violations within the 2-hour mandated time frame. The burden for reporting lays with residents and businesses. If we’re going to make any progress is stopping the parking messes we see, Bird and Razor need to be paying a citation and following up with their riders to ‘educate’ them on proper parking locations. What you see in this photo isn’t one of them, but we see this all the time.
And finally, we’re adding a requirement that anyone awarded the right to deploy their scooters under our new program must include a technology that shuts down the scooter if the rider is on a sidewalk. The technology is being used in both California and in Washington.
The yellow box that’s mounted on the vertical support of this scooter senses the difference between riding on concrete vs riding on asphalt. If the scooter is on concrete, it shuts down. Adding this requirement to our RFP is a safety issue; too many close calls when riders are up on the sidewalk. And currently when they end a ride on a sidewalk, the tendency is to just leave the scooter there – blocking foot traffic.
Thanks to Al from Ironhorse for sharing some information about this technology. I found it’s in use in Santa Monica and other areas. I’m hopeful it’ll be a positive addition that results in safer sidewalks, and less parking clutter.
Asylum Seekers
This quick update on what’s happening with our migrant guests out at the Alitas Welcome Center. We’re getting about a bus per week from the Yuma area, and a few drop-offs per week that are in the 30-50 person range. Those drop-offs are coming from CBP or Homeland Security. The capacity at Alitas is being stretched.
I’ve written before and have stated in the press that we know how to manage the issue on the ground, but we need federal financial assistance. Last week, Senator Kelly advised us that the FEMA Emergency Food & Shelter Program is allocating $110M for supporting asylum-seeking work in cities throughout the border region. That’s coming at just the time we’re having to look for new options such as using hotel space. None of that will be free.
I spoke with some of the Alitas staff last week and can share that they’re grateful to all of you who are stepping back into a volunteer role. They continue looking for volunteers. And if you’re reluctant to go out to the center to help, there are several ways you can help the cause even remotely. Being a Spanish speaker is helpful but is not required for many of the roles they’re filling. To check into that, email at volunteers@casaalitas.org. And this link will connect you for other ways you can support their work:
And we’re still taking your donations here at the W6 office. Email me at steve.kozachik@tucsonaz.gov and we’ll work out a time to coordinate.
Virtual Budget Town Halls
This reminder that one of the ways we’ll be securing input from the public related to the budget is this series of virtual budget town halls. It’s one part of our planning process. These meetings will be held topically with the next one covering Climate Action. It’ll be this Friday, March 20th at 10:30am. That one will be followed by a Community Safety meeting on Saturday, March 27th, also at 10:30am. Finally, on Thursday, April 8th at 5:30 there’ll be one called ‘Resilient Recovery.’ Mark your calendar – I'll send out links to register and participate as they become available.
COVID Risk in Pima County
The COVID numbers for Pima County took another slight dip last week, but they’re still too high to say, ‘stick a fork in it – it's done.’ This is the series of weekly numbers I’ve been keeping – now updated to include last week’s new COVID numbers for Pima County. And as is normal, take the daily numbers with a grain of salt – it's the overall average that matters due to lag times in reporting.
Six weeks ago, when I first shared the weekly count, we were seeing days with over 1,000 new cases in Pima County. It’s much lower now, which is of course a good thing. But for perspective, we didn’t begin to hit triple digit days last year until June. March, April and May were all under 100 cases per day. It’s worth keeping in mind before we claim victory.
The Harvard Global Health Institute map has some odd changes between this week and last. Here’s what I had in last week’s newsletter. Iowa was all in green, ready to party. But things changed over the week.
Here’s what the Harvard folks have this week. Iowa took a step backwards, and Missouri turned all red. Otherwise, most of the rest of the nation only saw moderate changes.
The data points for reopening schools improved by two spots this week. The “COVID-19 like illness” moved from “Progress” to “Criteria Met,” and in the third set of categories “testing w/in 48 hours” also moved from yellow to green. Schools in TUSD will be moving to hybrid next week, despite the state’s earlier standard of all 9 of these criteria needing to be in either yellow or green for 2 consecutive weeks.
Here’s our statewide map. I’ve been sharing these weekly for nearly a year now. Time flies...Maricopa County has had over a half million cases since this all began.
The infectivity rate data was not updated on the UA site last week. This March 5th report is the most recent one that’s posted.
Responsible health care officials are saying this is now a footrace between continuing the slow declines we’re seeing in COVID-19, spread of the new variant strains, and getting vaccines out widely. Please continue the CDC-recommended safe behavior activities you’re doing and watch the vaccination chart for when it’s your turn to register for that.
For the NY Times data sets, use this link:
The State Department of Health site is at this link: www.azdhs.gov.
Sincerely,
Steve Kozachik
Council Member, Ward 6
ward6@tucsonaz.gov
City of Tucson Resources
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